Village president sees bright future for North Aurora

NORTH AURORA – After his re-election this month, North Aurora Village President Dale Berman is upbeat about the village’s future.

“The future certainly looks bright for North Aurora,” Berman said Wednesday in his State of the Village address. His address was part of a networking event at Oak Street Restaurant sponsored by the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Berman was re-elected April 9 with no opposition.

“It was my first election without opposition,” he said. “It saved my legs from not having to go door to door.”

Berman first served as North Aurora village president from 1985 to 1989 and returned to the office in 2009, when he was elected to succeed Village President John Hansen, who did not run for re-election.

He listed the village’s accomplishments in the past year, including the $1.6 million renovation of North Aurora Village Hall. Berman said the project provided much-needed space in the building.

“We now have a beautiful, spacious building next to the Fox River,” Berman said.

He also took note of North Aurora’s bond rating being recently upgraded. Standard & Poor’s recently raised its long-term and underlying bond ratings for North Aurora to “AA” from “AA-” with a stable outlook.

S&P credit analyst John Sauter had said the upgrade reflected improved sales taxes, which have strengthened the village’s financial position.

“I am proud of the village board and staff for the outstanding effort they continue to display,” Berman said.

Home construction also continues to be on the rise, he said.

“In 2012, the village had $12 million in new home construction, and we have $9 million so far this year,” Berman said.

Berman also spotlighted the work of volunteer organizations in the village, such as the North Aurora River District Alliance, which last year completed a project to build an interactive stream along the village’s riverfront.

The 125-foot artificial stream reuses rainwater collected from the roof of North Aurora Village Hall to display several aquatic ecosystems. Interpretive signs explain the ecological significance of each section.

Native plantings and local stone connect the artificial stream with the natural environment of northern Illinois.